There really isn't much of a story. A while back there were some IGI folks that visited the WWGHA forum. They viewed this forum as being too cruel towards theists and thought moderation wasn't strict enough in regards to insults and swearing. Now once in a blue moon their butthurt will flame up and they'll make a boohoo post about how mean WWGHA is.

There really isn't much of a story. A while back there were some IGI folks that visited the WWGHA forum. They viewed this forum as being too cruel towards theists and thought moderation wasn't strict enough in regards to insults and swearing. Now once in a blue moon their butthurt will flame up and they'll make a boohoo post about how mean WWGHA is.

So for those for whom WWGHA is the bad uncle, IGI is the mommy they run to?

I guess atheists have schisms also. When do we get to torture those who see things differently from us?

I don't think a schism is possible in atheism. IMO, what happens with WWGHA and IGI, right now, is just a temporary division - sooner or later one of the two forums will be proved better than the other (something whic is impossible when the division is between two religious groups).

Ask me which of the two forums will be proved to be better and I reply immediately - WWGHA! Why? Because we have much better chances to find out the most aerodynamic shape when we try the construction at maximum speed. WWGHA will win, because of its maximal adherence to the truth, even when this is at the expense of somebody's feelings.

I think that IGI is merely a different focus than WWGHA.WWGHA seems to be focused on proving the atheist position sound, and sort of "fighting it out in a debate" if you will.IGI is far different in flavor. The concentration is more on bringing the different views to the table and fomenting discussion, it is more a marketplace of ideas about god(s) than it is a debate forum (though we certainly have our fair share of those).

I don't see why either should be eliminated in the long run, as neither is in competition with the other's niche.They will likely survive a long time, like coke and pepsi, or McDonalds and Taco Bell. It's all a matter of taste

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Cheers!-Argyle

Never let yourself be diverted by what you wish to believe, but look only and surely at what are the facts

Argyle, what is the difference between a discussion and a debate? From what I've seen, IGI is a place where people open threads and just say "I think X about Y" and nobody can ever challenge that PoV.

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The truth is absolute. Life forms are specks of specks (...) of specks of dust in the universe.Why settle for normal, when you can be so much more? Why settle for something, when you can have everything?We choose our own gods.

Hey, Argyle, nice to see you here! I perceive you as one of the good guys.

One difference that drives me crazy, although I enjoy both boards, is that some people get away with murder over there, because they know how to work around the system of rules to be rude and obnoxious in (sometimes not so) subtle ways. On those occasions I run screaming back here where at least we KNOW how and when we can be rude and obnoxious, and its obvious to everyone when we are. Perhaps I've said too much.

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If we ever travel thousands of light years to a planet inhabited by intelligent life, let's just make patterns in their crops and leave.

Argyle, what is the difference between a discussion and a debate? From what I've seen, IGI is a place where people open threads and just say "I think X about Y" and nobody can ever challenge that PoV.

I think that the difference between discussion and debate is the goal. A discussion is just a hashing out of ideas with neither side attempting necessarily to convince. There have been threads on IGI that are sort of an "ask me anything" from a modern/liberal Muslim for example. A debate is the posing of two alternative views in shall we say "Mortal Kombat" :]. I enjoy both, and I am certain that both happen on both forums, but I think IGI caters to discussion to a greater degree while WWGHA caters to debate to a greater degree.

The title of this forum is the title of a specific argument against particular god concepts. "Is god imaginary?" on the other hand is the core philosophical question and assumes no particular angle on the subject as much as possible. I quite often engage with others who have different world views as in my honest opinion the insularity of a religion is directly proportional to the level of danger it poses to outsiders. I want both to have the believers I interact with understand my position, and to understand theirs, and I subtly perhaps actually consider this the more important aspect of the conversation, but that is my own philosophy on discussion.

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Cheers!-Argyle

Never let yourself be diverted by what you wish to believe, but look only and surely at what are the facts

Folks, I have to say I truly enjoy Argyle's style over at IGI. There are a few members over there that really have a bad taste for anyone from WWGHA, especially if they are atheists. But there are some interesting discussions, and a nice handful of dual members. I like the style of a handful of the atheists, and there are some agnostics that I'm growing to like as well.

I guess I've become so accustomed to the WWGHA style, that I have a tougher time with the IGI style. I've seen some nasty stuff go down on both forums over the years, so no one is innocent in the forum wars (hee hee). There are no wars, that was a joke!

I've managed to get myself into trouble with the rules at IGI, so if you decide to go over there, don't forget to read the rules, and remember that the style is different.

Agreed, it's good to familiarize yourself with the system.To be fair though, in order to actually warrant any punishment on IGI you have to basically willfully defy the moderators on three occasions within three months, and that only puts you in "the corner" for three days. It's actually really difficult to get yourself kicked off the forum.. I think it has only happened once or twice that I have ever heard of :]

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Cheers!-Argyle

Never let yourself be diverted by what you wish to believe, but look only and surely at what are the facts

Agreed, it's good to familiarize yourself with the system.To be fair though, in order to actually warrant any punishment on IGI you have to basically willfully defy the moderators on three occasions within three months, and that only puts you in "the corner" for three days. It's actually really difficult to get yourself kicked off the forum.. I think it has only happened once or twice that I have ever heard of :]

Ah, there's the difference! Over here, you're out on your ass if you step out of line!

I don't see why either should be eliminated in the long run, as neither is in competition with the other's niche.They will likely survive a long time, like coke and pepsi, or McDonalds and Taco Bell. It's all a matter of taste

It's also very likely that in the long run none of the two forums will survive. One of the few things that I learned in my entrepreneurship classes is that pioneers usually get shot. And the more the product is a complex one, the more the above is true. Yes, Coke, Pepsi, McDonalds and Taco seem to be an exception to this rule, but that's because their core products are very simple. When the core product is simple, then it's all about marketing, catering, operations management, etc.

But when the core product is a complex one (such as the product of an internet forum) and it is a brand new product (such as the product of WWGHA or IGI), it evolves so quickly, that very often even the organization that invented it can't keep up to the standards set by the development of this product. And very often an emerging organization turns out to be more prepared for the new requirements.

Let me give you an example: The first graphical computer operating system was developed by Xerox, then it was bought and developed further by Apple, then it was stolen and developed further by Microsoft. That's how we have Windows now. Currently, all the three companies exist and are successful companies, but only one of them dominates the market of desktop and laptop computer operating systems, and that's the last-in company – Microsoft.

For a moment I imagine that I am a pirate like Bill Gates and I see a lot that could be stolen from WWGHA and very little to steal from IGI.

I hope it doesn't sound too cocky to you, but the only reason why IGI still has a niche, is because WWGHA leaves a niche. Now it's easy – WWGHA are the bad guys and IGI are the good guys – plain and simple. But that's because WWGHA is not bad enough yet. When it (or another forum of this kind) becomes really bad – I mean overwhelmingly bad, so bad that there is no proportional level of good to counter with, then IGI will simply become redundant.

You probably wonder what I mean with “overwhelmingly bad”. I guess you've heard Gloria Steinem's thought: “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” Well, my impression is that IGI is full of theists who simply can't or don't want to overcome the piss-off stage, so their choice is the IGI light motive – to goof around and try to affirm their religious positions. When WWGHA becomes “overwhelmingly bad” theists will have no other choice but try to overcome the piss-off stage.

Ahh, a fellow Violist! We are a rare breed. Even if you failed, you can still claim that highest of accolades... Being a Violist.

"How do you keep your violin from getting stolen?Put it in a viola case.".......

But Philosophy and Music are often intertwined...

I prefer to compare myself to Sherlock Holmes, If I still had a Viola or Violin I would play it while solving incredibly complex puzzles, and in the process irritate those around me until they were quite prepared to begin hurling uncomfortably large and potentially lethal objects in my direction.

Hey Argyle! Glad to see you posting in this forum ... When WWGHA becomes “overwhelmingly bad” theists will have no other choice but try to overcome the piss-off stage.

I suppose all we can do at this point is conjecture.I do wonder though, with atheism on the rise by all accounts, whether the future holds the extinction of both of our little forums.Mayhap in the future the forum of choice would be "www.couldgodspossiblyexist.com" or some such.

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Cheers!-Argyle

Never let yourself be diverted by what you wish to believe, but look only and surely at what are the facts

"How do you keep your violin from getting stolen?Put it in a viola case.".......

I prefer to compare myself to Sherlock Holmes, If I still had a Viola or Violin I would play it while solving incredibly complex puzzles, and in the process irritate those around me until they were quite prepared to begin hurling uncomfortably large and potentially lethal objects in my direction.

Okay, this is brilliant... Throwing lethal objects eh...? Bad Violists? It'd be a fairly large mass of them

It's also very likely that in the long run none of the two forums will survive. One of the few things that I learned in my entrepreneurship classes is that pioneers usually get shot.

I don't have experience of IGI, but I reckon members loyalties will be the deciding factors and people will continue them into perpetuity until the scenario where there is no more religion to bitch about... I certainly can't see myself participating in another forum on the same scale of engagement and fondness I have for reading this one. I may not post an awful lot, but reading the various threads is certainly very fun, and I don't know if this applies to others.

But anyway, Cadillac, as MadBunny said, perhaps a little overthought? It is all a matter of taste. And I think that all we need at the moment is an influx of theists...

Maybe we should offer a Theist Exchange program between IGI and WWGHA. We can whip their theists into shape (or Omen will just destroy them) and then they can put up with demon-possessed NATHAN...?

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"Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservative."

MB, I have to admit I had to look up "to over-think" in the dictionary. I'm still not 100% sure what it means, because such a word/expression doesn't exist in my native language. But, I guess, if two native English speakers agree that I over-think, then I really over-think, whatever this word means.